But when the mill workers come Banavva, the former landowner’s widow, refuses to let them cut the trees, saying she has sold the land but not the trees! This upsets Amaresh who has borrowed from the bank to develop the land.

To make her see reason Amaresh requests a meeting of the village elders. They instruct Banavva to return the money and retain her land. The poor widow fails to do so. To retain the trees she attempts suicide: first she threatens to jump off a high wall, next she jumps into a well. Both times she survives and becomes the laughing stock of the village.

Amaresh is under pressure from the bank as well as the sawmill owner. His rivals in the village have complained to local authorities of encroachment, and he is falling in the eyes of his mother-in-law. So he procures the forest department’s permission to cut the trees.

Banavva now tries to hang herself in public. A stunned Amaresh rescues her but finds that Banavva has lost her voice, and rushes her to the city hospital. During this human interaction he learns about her background and is transformed.

But the sawmill owner needs the trees, so he arrives with police protection to fell them. The village community draws together and succeeds in protecting the trees.

The womenfolk celebrate this in Banavva’s field. While people sing and play, Banavva dies a silent death.

Her body is put to rest under a tree planted by her, and Amaresh plants another on her grave.
Director’s Statement
For many years I had nurtured the dream of making a movie. It was a desire as intense as that to take a plunge into rural development after completing my education. While working in the villages I realized that true development lies in change of mind rather than in reforms that take place on the surface. This strengthened my belief that a film should traverse beyond propaganda and reach out to the viewers with real issues reflecting cultural intricacies. The story of Banada Neralu struck me at this point of time.

When the story took a definitive form, I went in search of locations. Many groves, which I had heard about and imagined as ideal locations, had disappeared. The groves that did exist had only a few old trees and hardly looked like an ideal grove. This futile search for the ideal location strengthened my resolve to make the film.

In a certain way Banavva is like a ‘Village Gandhi.’ While Gandhi was ready to sacrifice his life for achieving what he believed in, Banavva, without any hint, threatens the village people that she would die to achieve what she believed in. At a time when materialistic values are defining all our relations, Banavva paints a different picture of her personality through her deep love for plants and trees, birds and animals. She looks like a native form of eminent social activists Medha Patkar and Arun Roy.

May Banavva’s song of protest live in people’s heart.
UMASHANKAR SWAMY
Umashankar Swamy graduated as an engineer but chose to work as a social activist in rural areas. Later, working in theatre, he came to be known as a sensitive director with strong conviction. He also developed a deep interest in the medium of cinema and directed many documentaries. Banda Neralu, his first feature film, is born of reflections rooted in his mind for several years.
Cast & Credits
Producer : Bhavamadhyama
Director, Screenplay : Umashankara Swamy
Camera : Ramachandra Ithala
Editing : Guna
Music : Pitchalli Srinivasa
Cast : B Jayashree, Harish Raj, Gangadhar